


Infinity War & Post-Snap (2018 - 2023)

by alienprincesspoop



Series: Steve x Alina [4]
Category: Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Alien Invasion, Aliens, Alpha T'Challa (Marvel), Alternate Universe - Crazy Rich Asians Fusion, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Artist Steve Rogers, Ashes Scene in Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, Asian Character(s), Asian-American Character, Avengers Family, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Post-Credits Scene, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Trailer, Awesome Shuri (Marvel), Awesome T'Challa (Marvel), Battle of Wakanda (Avengers: Infinity War), Black Character(s), Black Male Character, Black Panther Fandom Appreciation 2020, Black Panther Shuri (Marvel), Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Canon Compliant, Canon Dialogue, Canon Related, Canon Universe, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Spoilers, Character(s) of Color, Child Abandonment, Childhood, Children, Civil War (Marvel), Comfort Sex, Comfort/Angst, Crossover, Declarations Of Love, Domestic, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Domestication, Dorks in Love, Drama & Romance, During Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fatherhood, Female Character of Color, Female Friendship, Five Stages of Grief, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Genius Shuri (Marvel), Grief/Mourning, Heteronormativity, Heterosexual Character, Heterosexual Sex, Heterosexuality, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt/Comfort, Infinity Gems, Inspired by Crazy Rich Asians, Interracial Relationship, Long-Distance Relationship, Long-Term Relationship(s), Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Marvel Cinematic Crossover Exchange, Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase One Compliant, Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two Compliant, Marvel Universe, Minor Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Minor Wanda Maximoff/Vision, Motherhood, Multi, Multiple Crossovers, New York City, Not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Compliant, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Fiction, Other, POV Character of Color, POV Female Character, POV First Person, POV Male Character, POV Multiple, POV Original Character, POV Steve Rogers, Parent-Child Relationship, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Battle of New York (Marvel), Post-Black Panther (2018), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Captain America: The First Avenger, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Protective Avengers, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective T'Challa (Marvel), Psychological Trauma, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Soulmates, Scientist Shuri (Marvel), Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Singapore, Soulmates, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Superheroes, Superhusbands (Marvel), Team as Family, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Top Steve Rogers, Touching, Trauma, True Love, Vaginal Sex, Wakanda (Marvel), Wakandan Technology, War, Women Being Awesome, Women In Power, Women in the Military, the snap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25133356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienprincesspoop/pseuds/alienprincesspoop
Summary: At the end of "Steve x, Alina: Post-Civil War," Steve Rogers and Alina Chen renewed their commitment to one another in the face of exile and discord.Inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these series of stories imagine a meaningful and thrilling 21st-century romance for Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, one of its most beloved characters.Find out what happens when war returns to Earth. Will Steve and his 21st-century beau, Alina, be able to handle the ramifications of this far-reaching battle and its devastating consequences?This part of the series will take you from the summer of 2018 to the spring of 2023, post-Snap.Author's note: None of the characters mentioned in this story belong to the author except for the protagonist, A.C., which is the author's original creation. This character was inspired by the character of Astrid Leong, as portrayed by Gemma Chan in Crazy Rich Asians. All other names, characters, and places belong to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and are borrowed for fictional purposes.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter & Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Avengers Team, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & T'Challa, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Steve x Alina [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1511591
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Infinity War & Post-Snap (2018 - 2023)

Alina stepped out of the jet to find people scurrying around the platform. She narrowed her eyes and looked around for an explanation of the chaos. Dread took root in her stomach as she walked toward the palace doors. Where were the palace guards?

When she stepped into the large atrium, she was greeted with more chaos. Palace servants rushing around, holding all manner of things, people running from one end of the atrium to the other. A huge man was lugging a drum the size of his own body out of the back door.

"What's happening?"

She reached out towards a servant, and the woman stopped, blinking at her for a few seconds. Alina tried again.

"I am Ambassador Chen," she said. "I was due to meet King T'challa for my report on the Asian tsunamis. Where is he?"

The servant recovered at the mention of T'challa.

"Apologies, Ambassador. The King is indisposed."

"Where is he?" she repeated, her eyes widening at the ranks of Dora Milaje that started to march towards the back entrances. "What is happening?"

"We are preparing for war."

Alina watched as the servant scurried away. Someone bumped into her, and the person screwed up their face in anger. When they saw her ambassadorial robes, they muttered an apology and ran off.

Alina hurried forwards, and when she came upon an empty elevator, she stepped in. Unsure of where to go, she punched the first button she recognized. The elevator catapulted her to lightspeed, and she swayed a little at the force.

"Shuri?" She called out as she stepped out into the silent and empty laboratory.

No reply. Alina took a few more steps in and called out.

"Shuri, are you there?"

Still no answer. Unsure of what to do, Alina stood in the empty hallway.

"Mrs. Rogers!"

Alina jumped and turned to see a huge pixelated version of Shuri's face on the empty panel behind her.

"Just who I needed to see."

"Shuri? What's going on?"

"Come inside."

Shuri's face disappeared, and Alina walked down the hallway, turning a corner and entering the large space. Shuri was at a display panel.

"What's happening?"

Shuri ignored her.

"Can you read this?"

The young woman pointed to a piece of writing up on the screen. It was an image of an old manuscript, complete with illustrations. Alina looked at the words on the screen -- it was a long poem or epic, written in the form of ancient Mandarin.

"Can you read it?" Shuri repeated.

"A little bit," Alina frowned. "It's a poem about...an eye?"

"Yes!" Shuri enthused. "Tell me what it says."

Alina read the poem once through.

"There's something about an ungodly power," Alina paused. "That's strange...I can't make this out."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't tell if it's referring to a literal eye or a metaphorical one, like the evil eye or the third eye."

"It's referring to this."

Shuri's hand moved across the screen, and an image of a golden metal case in the shape of an eye appeared.

"Can you tell if there are phrases on how the Eye was engineered?"

Alina skimmed through the words and phrases she could understand. "I don't think so. No." She paused. "This is a story about the person or people who made this Eye."

"Damn."

Shuri flicked the paper aside, and Alina turned to her.

"What's this all about?"

"The Avengers are coming to Wakanda," Shuri said. "My brother told me to prepare for surgery."

"Surgery? Whose surgery?" Alina asked, feeling confused. Her eyes flitted to the windows nearby and widened. Rank after rank of soldiers were filing in line. "And what does any of this have to do with why we are suddenly at war right now?"

"I am to remove the Mind Stone from Vision."

"The Mind Stone?"

"The glowing yellow thing in the middle of his forehead?"

Shuri huffed and waved her hand, and a full-body scan of Vision came up. She zoomed in on his head.

"That's an Infinity Stone."

"Infinity stone?"

Shuri looked at Alina. At that moment, Alina felt what it must have been like for all the other children in school with a scientific child genius.

With a flick of her wrist, Shuri brought up a picture of six multi-colored stones. They rolled in place in the hologram, each glowing a different colored light.

"These are the infinity stones," Shuri said. "People believe they were created after The Big Bang."

Alina's mind raced with multiple questions, but she heard herself spit out one. "Why does Vision have one in his forehead?"

"You'll need to ask Tony Stark that."

She returned the screen to Vision's face with another wrist flick, the yellow stone glowing in the middle.

"Assuming The Avengers get here on time and assuming I can take this stone out of this man's head without killing him in the process…. I'll need a way to contain the stone."

"Contain the stone...is that the ungodly power the poem was talking about?"

Shuri smiled at her, and for the first time since she landed in Wakanda, Alina felt like she understood something.

"Yes. I'll need to contain the stone — in a chamber of some sort — until it can be destroyed."

"Why do you want to destroy it?"

"Because aliens are coming to get it, and we need to stop them!"

Shuri huffed in frustration and went back to typing. It was clear the conversation was over. Alina sat back in a chair, trying to understand the information in her head.

Aliens were coming. That was why there were hundreds, no thousands of Wakandan soldiers preparing for battle outside right now. Vision needed surgery to get an ancient cosmic stone out of his head. The Avengers were coming.

"The Avengers are coming here?" Alina said out loud.

"Mm." Shuri stopped and turned to her, a smile on her face. "Now, do you understand?"

"I understand nothing," Alina said. "Nothing makes sense to me right now. Except that Wakanda is in danger, and something bad will happen if you don't succeed."

"The whole world is in danger," Shuri said, looking at her. "Maybe the entire universe."

Alina's brain refused to process that last bit of information. Instead, she breathed in and looked the princess square in the face.

"Tell me what you need me to do."

***

It all happened so fast -- the Avengers arrival, the pow-wow in Shuri's lab. Alina hung back, unsure of what to make of The Avengers when they arrived. She had not seen Steve in action before. He looked equally surprised to see her there — not that his face betrayed any sign of it. Alina had been with the man long enough to read his minute facial expressions. The incremental rise of his eyebrows was a sufficient sign.

They exchanged a formal greeting ("Ambassador," "Captain"). Vision smiled a pained smile at her before being helped to the examination bed by Wanda. A memory of watching the two of them walking in the moonlight surfaced in her mind. Alina pushed down the pit in her stomach as she exchanged brief nods with Nat and T'challa.

The only face she didn't recognize belonged to a short, older man in glasses.

"Dr. Banner, Miss..."

"Ambassador Chen."

It was the role that she was played whenever she was in Wakanda, so she went with it. The man's eyes darted to Steve, then to Nat, who nodded.

"Oh," he said, his eyes settling back at her. "You're..."

Alina just smiled, keeping her focus on him.

"Nice to meet you," he said. "Very nice to meet you." His smile widened, his hand still in hers. "I didn't think Steve would ever..."

Steve cleared his throat with purpose and shot the man a pointed look.

"Oh. Right." He retracted his hand and looked at Vision. "Right. Let's get down to it."

Alina hung back as she watched Shuri scan Vision's body. A brief scientific discussion between her and Banner ended with a Shuri chiding Banner for over-complexifying Vision's internal systems.

"Can you do it?"

Alina looked over at Wanda, who had spoken for the first time.

"Yes, but there are more than two trillion neurons here," Shuri said, her tone shifting. "One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures." She looked at T'challa. "It would take time, brother."

All eyes looked at T'challa, but the next voice to speak was not his.

"How long?"

Alina looked at Steve, his bearded face, stoic and calm.

"As long as you can give me."

"Something's entering the atmosphere."

All eyes in the room turned to Okoye and the hologram on her palm. Steve pressed a finger to his ear and went to the window. A few seconds later, Alina heard something like thunder out the window. She rushed to the window next to T'challa and watched an explosion of smoke and fire outside the dome.

A few seconds later, her horrid disbelief turned to an anxious pit of fear in her stomach. Four giant obelisks descended from the sky. Alina could feel the ground shake beneath her feet as they drove themselves into the ground outside the dome.

"It's too late," Vision said. "We need to destroy the stone now."

Nat turned. "Vision, get your ass back on the table."

"We will hold them off," T'challa said.

"Wanda," Steve started. "As soon as that stone's out of his head, you blow it to hell."

"I will."

"Evacuate the city," T'challa's voice rose in the room. "Engage all defenses." He stopped. "And get this man a shield."

Steve and T'challa exchanged a nod, and then, T'challa left the room with Okoye in tow.

Alina looked over at Steve and walked up to him.

"You heard the man," he said, looking at her. "You need to leave."

"I'm staying."

Steve frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

"This is not the time for a lover's quarrel," Shuri said.

They both looked at her.

"Ambassador Chen will stay and help me."

With that royal decree, Shuri turned back to her work.

Alina looked back at Steve. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but there might as well have been a forcefield between them. The look on his face, coupled with his body language, stopped her.

"Captain," Shuri said. "One of my scientists will show you to your shield."

Without turning from the screen, hands still typing, Shuri barked out instructions in Xhosa. A scientist in white scuttled forward to Steve.

Alina looked at the scientist and then back to the man in front of her. Her mind raced, searching for words to say, as her eyes darted around his face, settling on his mouth. Alina surged forward and pressed a kiss on his lips.

"Go get them, cowboy."*

She watched as his eyebrows furrowed together.

"This way, sir."

Steve looked at her again, an unreadable expression on his face, then he turned and left the room. Alina's mind wondered at his curious reaction, her body grieving the suddenly hollow space.

***

"What's happening?" Shuri yelled.

"I can't…" Alina said. She peered at the video image on the screen. "What the hell…" she uttered under her breath.

Alina manipulated the video screen, and a close-up image appeared on the screen. Steve, Nat, and T'challa were walking up to what looked like a woman with a mask and a sword and a giant…man? in armor.

"What's going on, Ambassador!"

"They're going in for a parlay," she muttered to herself. "They're going in for a parlay!" she yelled.

"Parlay?"

"Yes!"

Alina watched as the three of them stood at the edge of the dome. A minute later, the woman in the mask raised her sword. Alina watched as the obelisks raised from the ground. Steve, Nat, and T'challa ran back to the frontlines.

And then, she saw them.

They looked like ants on the screen, emerging from the trees, but as more and more of them poured out, Alina felt her blood run cold. She wanted to tear her eyes away from the screen, run, and hide, but her body was not cooperating. Instead, she stood frozen on the spot, watching as hordes of invading aliens smashed themselves unto the dome.

"Ambassador! …Ambassador!"

Alina watched in horror, her stomach churning and crawling, as six, eight ? legged monsters with claws tried to break through the perimeter. One got through, and then a second later was decapitated in half as the forcefield came in around itself.

"Oh my God..." she muttered.

She continued to watch as more and more monsters did the same, each decapitating their own bodies in a mindless attempt to break through the barrier.

"Dear God…"

Then, she saw one get through, flesh burning off its skin, crouched on all six legs and roar its stubby head, showcasing a row of sharp teeth.

"It got through," she whispered. "…They're getting through!"

Someone turned her around, and then, she felt hands on both sides of her arms, gripping her firmly.

"Alina."

She blinked. The face in front of her was familiar.

"I need you here with me," the face was saying. "Focus."

The face started to nod, and she found herself nodding along.

"I need your help to make sure everything is prepared for the surgery. Can you do that?"

Alina went to nod her head and found it was already doing that.

"Good."

Shuri took her hand and marched her away from the screen.

Alina saw Wanda standing over Vision's body. Wanda was stroking his forehead, her other hand in his. Vision turned his head and greeted her.

"Good day, Miss Chen."

Alina couldn't help but smile. His warm voice and his polite greeting reminded her of days past.

"It's been a while," he said. "Fancy meeting you here. On my deathbed."

"The only way you'll die in my lab today is if I find a self-preserving detonator in your body that Stark and Banner placed inside you," Shuri said. "I wouldn't put it past those two."

Vision laughed a little at the joke and clutched his side in pain. Wanda moved forward in concern. Alina stood beside her, watching the two lovers interact. She felt a pit form in her stomach as she thought about Steve.

"Everything's …just…about…ready…" Shuri said, typing into a panel above Vision's body.

Alina placed a comforting hand on Wanda's shoulder. The woman looked up at her. Alina squeezed her shoulder for good measure and Wanda looked back at Vision.

"And…done," Shuri said. "The sedative is ready. Let's get to work."

***

The laboratory was a cocoon of silence. Were it not for the screens nearby, projecting in real-time the chaos of war outside, Alina would have mistaken the surgery she was witnessing as routine. She forced her drifting eyes to focus on the three laser arms extending upon Vision's head.

Wanda had her arms wrapped around herself and one finger on her mouth as she bit the fingernail's tip. Alina placed two hands on her shoulders. The young woman barely turned to look.

"Great Bast…"

They both jerked their heads up. A flash of bright light took up the screen. Alina turned to look out of the window. Sure enough, a great pillar of rainbow-colored light was shining down on the ground. The light dimmed after a moment. She narrowed her eyes and looked back at the screen. A man stepped out from the light. What the hell was on his back? A cat? And was that a walking...tree?

"What in the…" She trailed off. "Is that…Thor?" Alina heard herself ask.

Her eyes were trying to process the man's giant frame. He held an ax in his hand.

"The demigod's here?" Shuri said, her eyes focused on the projected hologram of the yellow stone in front of her. "Good."

Alina and Wanda exchanged a look, then, Wanda focused her attention back on Vision. Alina watched as what she thought was a cat but was now, clearly, a raccoon in a vest, jumped off Thor's back, and cocked a gun.

"What the f…"

"SHH…!"

Alina bit her tongue. After that, she stole glances at the screen and caught bits of the fight. Even from the far-away camera angle on the dome, it looked brutal, but Alina didn't care. She just wanted to make sure Steve was ok, and for a moment, she thought she caught him in the same frame as Thor.

"No...no...no..." Shuri said in a crescendo.

"What's wrong?"

Wanda left Alina's side and came up to Vision's unconscious body.

"Nothing!" Shuri yelled. "Everything," she muttered.

Alina's eyes passed between Shuri and Vision and landed on the screen. Gigantic buzzsaws rose from underground and made their way towards the ranks. She gasped in horror. Wanda followed her gaze. They stood in silence for a few seconds, watching the carnage on screen, then Wanda walked over to the window.

Something changed on her face. Before Alina could say anything, Wanda ran out.

"Where is she going?" Shuri yelled, eyes darting to her direction.

Alina ran after her, but it was too late. When she got to the hallway, she saw Wanda in the elevator.

"Take care of Vision."

With that, the woman flicked her wrist, and the elevator door closed, wisps of red smoke billowing from the doors. Alina rushed forwards in and punched the button in vain. The thing was billowing red mist too. She ran back into the lab.

"Wanda's gone," Alina declared to Shuri.

Shuri made a face between a snarl and a grimace but kept her eyes on the panel.

Alina hurried back to Vision. She stared at the unconscious man. Her eyes drifted to the giant buzzsaws and the ant-like figures running away from their murderous approach. Alina sucked in a breath. God have mercy.

***

The attack came out of the darkness. Alina heard it first. Screams, yells, a bang, a crash.

She ran from her position at the window to see Shuri, frantic and frowning, punch in a few codes on the panel. Alina heard Vision wake up from his sedation and gasp. As soon as she turned to check on him, she heard a loud thud. When she looked back up, she saw Shuri's Dora Milaje bodyguard, Ayo, on the ground. Shuri grabbed something with her hand and let out a yell as she discharged beams out of it.

Then she saw it.

The attacker. The alien.

Tall and skinny with a black hood, carrying a spear. Alina backed away in fright and just in time too, for not a moment later, he had thrown both Shuri and Ayo through the glass, their bodies falling in the laboratory.

Alina watched in horror as the alien landed with a thud on the floor, her hands and body safety. Her body hit a wall, but she kept moving, looking at the alien's ugly, pale face, a few feet away. He gripped his spear and sneered. Alina felt her blood grow cold, her heart pounding in her ears as she met his beady eyes.

Just as she prepared herself for death, she saw a flurry of gold and red. Alina watched in horror as Vision pushed the alien towards the window. The glass cracked with a thunderous sound as Vision fell into the sky.

Alina stared in shock at the now-empty window, and then her gaze traveled to the floor. She ran forward to the two bodies. Ayo was groaning. Shuri wasn't moving.

"Shuri," she said, coming close. "Shuri."

When there was no response, Alina hesitated. She wanted to touch Shuri, but she stopped herself. What if there was a spinal cord injury? She had fallen from a very high place.

"Is she alive?"

Alina turned to see the bodyguard, standing and supporting herself with a spear. She placed two fingers on Shuri's neck.

"She has a pulse."

Ayo hobbled over, leaning on her spear for support.

"Turn her around."

Alina followed the instruction and carefully moved Shuri's body to face up.

"She doesn't appear to be bleeding," Alina said.

Ayo checked Shuri's body.

"We need to make sure there's no internal bleeding," Ayo said. "Put the princess on the table. We can run diagnostics from there."

Alina nodded and slid both arms under Shuri. Shuri was light enough, but as Alina placed the princess on the table, she wondered at Ayo's command. The woman assumed Alina could handle the order. Ayo's confidence in her ability made her feel grounded and competent in an otherwise panic-inducing situation.

"I'll get up there and run the diagnostics," she offered.

Ayo shook her head and held her bracelet up to the console. The console came alive with a panel. Alina noticed her lock her jaw and lean on the spear as she swiped at the panel.

"Is your leg broken?"

"It is nothing."

Alina looked at the woman's right ankle, which was beginning to swell. Ayo kept her attention on the panel above Shuri. After a minute of silence, Alina spoke.

"Is there internal bleeding?"

"No. All internal systems are fine. Her pulse is weaker than normal, but there is no massive injury."

"Why isn't she conscious?"

"I don't know."

Ayo continued typing and then cursed under her breath.

"What's wrong?"

"We can give her something to make her wake up," Ayo said. "But, it's across the lab."

"I'll get it. Show me what to get."

Ayo held her arm out. "Take my bracelet."

Alina hesitated. The Kimoyo bracelet was sacred to each wearer, and she knew better than to take one from a Dora Milaje.

"You will need it to access the room with the nanobots."

Ayo slipped it off herself and placed it on her palm.

"The drawer will be open. Just scan my bracelet at the door. Once you're inside, grab the vial and a syringe."

Alina nodded and hurried up the winding platform. Right at the top, she reached a room with frosted glass doors. She scanned the bracelet against the panel, and the doors slid open. Sure enough, there was a drawer ajar. Alina ran forward and grabbed a syringe and vial of nanobots. They looked like moving glitter in the test tube. She ran out of the room and yelled down.

"I have it!"

Running down the winding staircase gave her vertigo. Alina had to steady herself when she got to the bottom.

When she looked up, she dropped the syringe.

"Wha..."

Ayo looked back at her in surprise.

"You..."

The woman held her hand up to her face, and the two of them watched as her entire arm disintegrated. The spear fell to the floor with a loud clang. Ayo looked down at herself, and Alina watched as the ash overtook her, spreading through her body and then…Ayo was gone.

"Ah…"

Alina stared at the blank space for a few seconds. From the corner of her eyes, she saw more ash float upwards.

"No…no!"

She ran forward, and sure enough, Shuri's feet had started to disintegrate.

"No! Oh God…please, no!" She grabbed Shuri's shoulders and shook her. “Shuri, wake up! Wake up! Shuri!”

But it was no use. The ash spread up Shuri's torso and then to her shoulders. Alina watched as the brown ash disappeared on her palms. She stared at Shuri's face in horror, and in the next second, she was staring at an empty bed.

Alina stood alone, in the deafening silence and sudden emptiness, her body like stone.

***

**Author's Note:**

> *Peggy said “Go get them” to Steve after they shared their first and only kiss in the car before he hopped unto the Valkyrie. I thought it’d be a nice touch for Alina to say the same thing to him before he headed off to battle.


End file.
